squaring up fabric advice
01-29-2014, 10:34 PM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
Many years ago, Mom taught us to cut with scissors into the selvedge side of the fabric, find a loose thread and pull it, thereby finding the true straight of the grain and then cutting where the thread had been. Wow, was that tedious! Today, I like my plaids, stripes and directional prints to look smartly on the straight. Once I bought yards and yards of a toile only to learn it was printed crooked on the bolt. Still trying to use it up in scrappy quilts.
01-29-2014, 10:41 PM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 1,103
That's what I do as well, and so far, no wonky strips, so I must be doing something right. I was originally taught to pull a thread from near the edge, but found it time consuming and not much help if the print is off the grain.
01-30-2014, 03:10 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,572
If you're having difficulty with holding the fabric up, if you have a large enough flat surface, match up your selvage edges, lay the piece on the table and smooth the two layers from the fold to the selvage. Your edges will likely be mis-aligned at that point but you'll have the fabric straight. You could probably use a couple of pins on the fold edge to hold things in place if it's a large piece. I find doing the 'thread pull' technique very tedious with the cottons we use for quilting.
You could also try just working the loose threads from one cut end until you get all the way across the WOF. Line up those edges and that will give you straight of grain as well. At least that process you could sit for!
You could also try just working the loose threads from one cut end until you get all the way across the WOF. Line up those edges and that will give you straight of grain as well. At least that process you could sit for!
01-30-2014, 03:21 AM
#14
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 260
What I do is tearing the fabric an inch or two from the side. Then I fold the fabric so the selvages are on top of each other and the torn edge is exactly aligned. Then I press a new center fold in the fabric, by going from the selvage to the middle of the fabric, making sure the fabric is lying flat. To make it easier, you can pin along the selvages to make sure the fabric won't shift there. You end up with a new center fold and fabric that's on grain, ready to cut into strips.
I hope that made sense, it's easier to do than explain in words.
I hope that made sense, it's easier to do than explain in words.
01-30-2014, 06:29 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Lexington,Kentucky
Posts: 6,163
I have often torn my fabric an inch or two (after looking to see how wonky it is) from the WOF cut line to get the actual straight of grain. I tear a few inches at a time to avoid stretching the fabric. Then I cut a new clean cut to get started.
Oh oh and I start the tear lines with scissors.
I learned this 50 years ago in 4-H.
Oh oh and I start the tear lines with scissors.
I learned this 50 years ago in 4-H.
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